The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-05-04
A skirmish with the cossacks.

A Skirmish with the Cossacks.
About she middle Of autumn We made
a resonnoisSanee IN the direction ~ Ras-
gard. 70 endeavor 70 discover the strength
Of the enemy these. Three regiments of
Cossacks made up the force, anil we
marched ali iay and part Of the nigit be-
fore We came in the vicinity Of the ene-
my ON the morning Of the second day
il was reported that considerable de-
iachment Of Turkish irregulars was en-
camped a short distance in front Of us-
We had been moving during the night
with a. little noise a. possible. and had
bivouaced in the rain without building a
tire. in order to give no notice Of our APP
proach to the ensmys pickets. Il was
Just day break when the or,lers 70 march
we're given, and the column proceeded
cautiously with a few scouts in advance
In a half an hour OF - We who were nd
ing q little ahead Of the column could So
the Characteristic conicai Turkish tents
assembled in a little valley a short dis
-ance beyond Al the same instant our
scouts engaged the enemy's pickets. and
the column halted The camp in sight
vas only a large outpost. and the General
Immediately gave orders for one regiment
to form and charge through the camp.
We could SEE the men Of the designated
regiment uncover and cross themselves
and In q moment the head Il the detach-
ment was moving rapidly past Us A.
noug the ofiioers rosie the MAJOR. my old
friend II the DubrudScha, who. unknown
% me. had been promoted % a Lieuten-
ant Colonelcy. and transferred toanother
regiment As be dashed past me he
made gesture If recognition and "a tyed
his hand for me 10 follow. believe il
49, ms horses Elult more than my own.
for certainly never bad an intention Of
riding in charge If could help IL. but
before knew It was at the majors side
OF We went at a tror, changing our for
nation % regimental front Then, in an
irregular line, much broken by the iue-
qualities Of the ground. Sc swept down
tLe slope "a, GALLON There was some f.
ring. and a iew Cos~Icks fell. Dut ] doubt
il anybody heard the shot The thunder
ing o. hoofs. the ~haking Of the grain bags
the n.ttliu- Of the cooking utensils and
the rcsoGujin- vhacs- of the n8-ikas
allied the air with multitude Of noises
which drowned all other sounds. The
.xhilirition Of the moment was supreme.
dorses as well a. men f-lt it, unique stim-
lius. and We rushed through the camp,
sweeping &c away a. the sudden cioud-
lurSt ia the Rockies tears cut the bed Of
the arroya. II was one OF those rare mo-
ment- Of life when all sense If individu-
atty is merged in that utterly overwhel-
ming feeling Of exaltation. in that intoxi-
c.tion Of magnetism. which often possess
es large massss Of men moved by some
grand and simultaneous impulse. u vas,
perhaps, after all a very trivial affair from
d military point Of view. but the sensa-
tiou I experienced was by no means in
significant OF easily forgotten.
PART of the Turkish force took to flight
IN time anJ escaped those who remain
eI o. defend theircamp we're sabred, spit
t-i like fowls on the lInces, or captured
and Tel back 70 the main column at the
end Of lariat. The fleis Of this little
incident was fully As impressive as the
charge itself. although in quite another
way. After We made camp that night
the men Of the regiment which had en-
gagged the enemy were drawn up in line
with uncovered heads. and sang relig-
ious hvun in chorus. How different now
were those faces which 4 few hours be-
fore had been distorted with the cruel
expressions Of hatred Of the iufdel, OF
gloritied by the excitement Of the charge
or the consciousness Of victory Uni
forms apart. the men looked ike rank
Of devOut. peaceful farmers, bronzed by
the sun in the fields. and begrimed with
tine dust Of agriculture. The HYMN roll
ed forth in quaint sad cldeuces tuned 90
a minor KEY. ike most Of the native mel
odies. Along the ranks a gap purposely
left here and there showed where COM
rade had stood the day before Although
] could not catch the words they sang.
the significance ofthe hymn could not BE-
mistaken Many rough hands brushed
theeyes before the last mournful note died
away. and the regiment then dispersed
about The camp with a quiet step. as #
the least noise werean insult 90 the mem
1rv Of the deai-E ]. Mn. n Hr-psr's
Nag1aa,